


Marooned

by lisac1965



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Accidental Time Travel, F/M, Stone Age, Survival, Time Travel, VBO Reverse Bang, Vegeta being Vegeta (Dragon Ball), Vegeta vs. feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25716775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisac1965/pseuds/lisac1965
Summary: As Bulma tinkers with the time machine, Vegeta accidentally transports them millions of years in the past. Still unable to figure the machine out and with minimal food and supplies, Vegeta and Bulma must work together to survive.Written for the VBO Reverse Bang.
Relationships: Bulma Briefs/Vegeta
Comments: 21
Kudos: 69
Collections: Vegebulocracy's Big Bang Bonanza





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I will have to credit this story to @evartandadam who' art concept (Artwork coming soon) and story idea were my inspiration. Also, a big thank you to my beta readers, @ Ruthlesscupcake and @ambrosicl and to @nutmeg3-7 for giving me a fresh pair of eyes for the final edits.
> 
> Sorry this is being posted so late but here it is.
> 
> Enjoy! <3

Bulma wiped sweat off her brow with the back of a gloved hand, leaving a streak of motor oil in its wake. She grit her teeth in frustration as she tightened a bolt. 

It had been months since Trunks returned to his time. Bulma had asked him if she could keep the time machine Cell had used so she could tinker with it.

She’d been trying to get past the tinkering phase since.

Just making heads or tails about the mechanics of this thing was a challenge. Oh, she managed to figure out some of it, being the genius that she is. Hell, she at least figured out how to make the fuel. But the whole time travel aspect of it still eluded her. How does it even do that?

And that was the crux of it. How does a piece of machinery do the impossible? It had to be more than just cogs and gears, right?

“Woman,” an all too familiar voice bellowed.

Bulma groaned as she pivoted on her stool. “What the hell do you want? I’m busy.”

“And that’s the problem,” Vegeta said. “You’ve been so busy with that stupid thing you haven’t even replaced the drones in the gravity room like you promised.”

“Hey, buddy, I didn’t promise you anything.” Bulma stood, glaring at him. “Besides, whatever happened to, ‘I’m no longer a warrior and I will fight no more?’”

“I still have to train,” Vegeta said. “And I expect you to do as I ask. We’ve created progeny, after all.”

“Just because we had a baby together doesn’t mean you own me, you jerk. We’re not even a couple.” She had no doubt about that. Since their one-time encounter, Vegeta had shown no interest in her. At least, not in the romantic sense. He was as cold and demanding as ever, and it hurt.

“Where is the brat, anyway?” Vegeta looked around as Bulma put her wrench back in the toolbox.

“Our son is with his grandmother at the moment,” she replied. “Trunks was starting to get into everything, so I couldn’t have him in here with me anymore.”

“Don’t you have that cage to put him in?”

_“Playpen,_ Vegeta,” she said. “He climbs out of that thing now. So, Mom takes care of him while I work.”

“You’re wasting your time.”

“Oh, p-lease, Vegeta, give me a break already,” she said as she removed her gloves.

Vegeta frowned as he looked the machine up and down. “You honestly think you can get the stupid thing to work?” 

Bulma put her hands on her hips. “You know, I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve had this conversation. I’ve told you, it’s a little thing called scientific curiosity. You can’t possibly blame me for being intrigued. I have to know how this sucker works.”

“And, in the meantime, you’re neglecting our son,” he said.

“Says the guy that didn’t even bother to keep us from falling to our deaths when he fought the androids.”

Vegeta opened his mouth, then closed it again. She had him on that one. If the future version of their son hadn’t saved them they would both likely be dead. 

“And, need I remind you how you left the planet right after I told you I was pregnant?” Bulma’s tone was sharp as heat rose in her face. “You didn’t want this family and you still don’t care. You just want me to be at your beck and call at all times.”

“Okay, never mind,” he said. “I just don’t understand why you spend so much time with something that isn’t going to work.”

“It _will_ work, Vegeta.” Bulma picked up a white box off her work table. “Meantime, I should put this somewhere on the ship.”

“What the hell is that thing?” 

Bulma walked up to him and opened the box to show him the contents. “Tools, food, supplies, in case I get stranded when I make the first test run.”

Vegeta huffed as she closed it and turned to the ship.

“I think the cockpit would be a good place.” Bulma turned to Vegeta again. “Would you mind giving me a boost? I put the ladder away already and don’t feel like messing with it again.”

“Isn’t there a supply hatch you can put that thing in?”

“Nope,” she replied. “Guess future me didn’t think Trunks would need one if we could just keep our supplies in capsules.”

“And you really expect me to carry you up there when you could do it yourself?”

“Yes.” She looked up at him with puppy eyes. “Please? I’ll get to work on the droids for you afterwards. I’m done with this thing for today anyway.”

“Ugh!” Vegeta rolled his eyes. “Fine, Woman.” 

Vegeta held her by the waist from behind and flew them both into the cockpit.

A few minutes passed as Vegeta’s patience wore thin. “Just put it in the seat already.” 

“I just want to make sure it’s somewhere secure,” she said. “I don’t think the seat is secure enough.”

“Sheesh, Woman, how long does it take to find a place for some stupid box?”

Bulma got up into his face. “For your information, jerk, this ‘stupid box’ could mean the difference between life and death.”

“Okay, fine, just hurry up.”

“Geez, what’s the rush, anyway?” She looked under the console for the fourth time. “I said I’d replace the droids for you, didn’t I? Just keep your shirt on.”

“Well, forgive me if I don’t possess the patience you require.”

“And you don’t require _my_ patience, buddy?”

“Look, you’re not going anywhere yet,” he said. “So, does it really matter where you put it now?”

“Just sit tight and we’ll be out of here, alright?”

Vegeta leaned against the console with a huff.

The ship’s engine systems came to life.

“Vegeta!” Bulma’s eyes went wide. ”What the hell did you do?”

“Nothing, I- I don’t know,” he replied, just as shocked. “I just leaned on the console-”

“And sat on the switch that activates the launch sequence, you idiot!” Bulma promptly sat and went to work. “I’ll try and stop this thing if I can.”

“If you _can?”_ Vegeta yelled as he sat next to her.

“I haven’t gotten even close to being done with repairs on this thing,” she explained as she frantically worked the controls. “I’m surprised it even activated.”

“We need to get out of here,” he suggested.

“We can’t,” she said. “Once the launch sequence is activated, we’re sealed in.”

“Then, stop this thing.”

“I’m trying!”

“Try _harder!”_

Bulma made several attempts to deactivate the launch sequence, but none of the controls were responding. Lift-off had begun, and soon they were in a vortex.

Bulma gave Vegeta a death stare. 

Vegeta said nothing. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Bulma’s stomach bottomed out as her eyes darted between the meter on the console and their unknown destination, her mind racing. Where- when- were they going? Did she bring enough supplies? Will they be able to get back home?

“What the hell are you just sitting there for, Woman?” Vegeta yelled. “Keep trying!”

“I can’t. It’s too late!” Her fist hit the console. “I’ve tried everything. Several times. There’s nothing else I can do until we get there.”

“Get where?” 

“Hard to say. Just trying to calibrate the meter was a challenge.”

Bulma attempted to activate the landing sequence once they passed through the vortex, heart racing as she wiped sweat from her face.

Her eyes flew open in horror. “We’re going to crash!” 

With no time for protest, Vegeta wrapped himself around her, cushioning her as they hit the ground. They were thrown from the ship by the time he released her. 

Once Bulma managed to catch her breath, she stood and dusted herself off, as did Vegeta. They had landed in some kind of desert, not unlike the one where Vegeta would go and train. The time machine had toppled over upon landing and was damaged. 

Bulma’s eyes shot daggers at him. “Well, this is one fine mess you’ve gotten us into.” 

His face flushed. “It was an accident, alright?”

“An accident that shouldn’t have happened. That was the control panel, you idiot! Not the seat.”

Vegeta folded his arms, staring her down. “We wouldn’t even be in this mess if you weren’t wasting your time with that thing in the first place.” 

“Oh, right, pin all the blame on me.” She took two strides toward him, getting up into his face. “Well, ex- _cuse me_ for trying to satisfy my curiosity. If you weren’t so impatient and careless, we wouldn’t be stuck here. So, you better hope I learned a thing or two about how to fix it so we can get home.”

Vegeta groaned as he backed off and looked around again. There was barely any vegetation and no sign of a water source. Bulma’s supplies would only last so long before they would either have to search for resources or starve to death.

“Fine,” he said after a moment. “In the meantime, we have to find shelter.”

“So, were you going to just take off and leave me here all by myself or carry me?” Bulma asked as she picked up the care package and encapsulated the ship.

Vegeta shook his head. “Flying would burn too much energy. At this point, I have to reserve what I can. Our best chance of finding shelter would be better on foot, anyway.”

“Then, start walking, pal!” 

o-o-o-o-o

“And, furthermore, It was _me_ who took your sorry, Saiyan ass into my home and busted my own ass for you without so much as a shred of gratitude for doing all that while putting up with your high-and-mighty-”

“Shut _up,_ Woman!”

“It’s _Bulma,_ blockhead!”

“I said, _shut up!”_ Vegeta motioned to their right. When Bulma saw what he was showing her, she gasped.

Right before them was the welcome sight of a cave. 

Bulma exhaled, hand resting on her chest. “Well, guess you’re not completely useless after all.” She made a stride toward the cave, but Vegeta grabbed her arm and pulled her back, making her squeal in protest.

“You’ve got a deathwish or something? There could be someone living in there, or wild animals in that cave.” He released her roughly. “Now, stay here while I go inside. If the coast is clear, I’ll let you know.” 

A moment passed before Bulma nodded. Vegeta made his way to the mouth of the cave, senses heightened as he entered. The cave was cool and dark inside and didn’t seem to be lived in. No other energy signatures were detected.

He motioned Bulma to join him, and not a moment too soon. The sun was already beginning to set and nocturnal wildlife would be roaming around in search of a meal.

She dashed inside the cave, catching her breath. “You sure it’s safe?” 

“For now. Meantime, we’ll be safe from the elements.” 

“Well, I don’t know about you, but, I’m starving.” Bulma sat on the ground and opened her box, pulling out some capsules and opening two plates of food and a mini fridge stocked with bottled water and canned sodas before handing a plate to Vegeta.

The Saiyan looked down at his plate and frowned. “Is this all you got, Woman?” 

“For your information, I wasn’t counting on having a grumpy alien with a bottomless pit for a stomach in tow.” She opened a bottle of water and took a sip. “Besides, we don’t know how long we’re going to be here and food’s already gonna run out twice as quickly, so we have to ration what we’ve got.”

His eyes shot up at her. “You mean to tell me you have no idea how long it will take you to fix the time machine?”

“I told you, several times, I was nowhere close to figuring that thing out. And now we’re stuck here for Kami knows how long.”

Vegeta gave her an irritated growl before turning back to his plate. By the time he’d finished eating, Bulma had put her own plate down with only half the food eaten, her now empty water bottle next to it. Her expression was somber as tears shimmered in her eyes.

He didn’t want to admit he was concerned, but he couldn’t help himself. “Bulma?” 

She sighed and wiped her eyes. “I miss Trunks.”

So did he, but it was one thing he could not get himself to admit. “He’s with his grandparents. The boy will be fine.”

She shook her head. “It isn’t that. I’m planning on getting us back the same time we left. I’m… I’m just not used to being away from him for so long.”

“So, how long do you think it will take you to repair it?” 

She sighed as she encapsulated what was left of her dinner. “I won’t know until I have a chance to assess the damage.” 

Vegeta stood and stretched his legs, looking out at the darkening landscape. “We should get some rest first.”

“Good idea,” Bulma yawned. “Unfortunately, I only brought one sleeping bag. I have blankets and an air mattress, though, if you want something soft to sleep on.”

Vegeta turned to her and sneered as if insulted. “I can sleep on the ground. You humans are so spoiled and weak you’re going to need all the commodities you have just to get comfortable, and I don’t want to hear you complaining while I’m trying to sleep, either.”

“No, really, I don’t mind. The sleeping bag will be enough. You think I want to hear _you_ complain all night?”

“I’ve slept in worse conditions than this, even out in the open.” He settled himself on the ground. “We have shelter for the night. I don’t need blankets or an air mattress. I’ll be fine.” 

As he laid down, she proceeded to unpack her bedding. “Suit yourself!” 

o-o-o-o-o

The following morning, Bulma stretched before crawling out of her sleeping bag, kneading sore muscles as she yawned. It was a new day and she was determined to get the time machine working, especially now that the need was so urgent.

The low growl of an animal caught her attention, and she crept toward the exit to investigate. Sure enough, there was a wild beast just outside. A large, black feline with long, sharp canines crouched in front of their cave.

“Stay back, Woman,” Vegeta ordered as he guarded their shelter. “He’s preparing to attack.”

Bulma obeyed, her heart racing as the panther roared and bolted in the Saiyan’s direction. Mercifully, Vegeta was able to subdue it, breaking its neck with a quick snap and letting it fall lifeless to the ground. 

The Saiyan looked down proudly at his kill. “Well, I guess that’s breakfast for me.” He crouched beside the carcass and proceeded to rip off its hind leg. “Care for some?” he asked nonchalantly. “There’s plenty.”

Knots formed in Bulma’s stomach. “No, thanks. I’ve got my own food.”

“Suit yourself,” he said, his teeth ripping a chunk out of the cat’s thigh. “But you know that food is gonna run out soon.”

“Don’t remind me.”

Vegeta sat on his haunches, feasting on his kill like the prince he was. “When we purged planets, this was how we survived, by eating some of the carcasses of the inhabitants we killed.”

“Like I really needed that information.” Her poor stomach was now doing flip-flops. “And you never even bothered to cook it?”

He swallowed the chunk in his mouth. “Never had time. Besides, there’s nothing more satisfying than eating fresh kill, right?”

“A bit gross if you ask me.” Bulma turned on her heels and went back inside. 

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” he taunted as she retrieved her own breakfast.

The wheels in Bulma’s brain turned as she ate, trying to remember what she learned about the time machine as she worked on it during the past several months. The damage it took when they landed. What repairs were needed before tackling the whole time travel thing.

Oh, yeah, her rations would definitely run out before then.

Vegeta’s footsteps neared the cave. “Woman, got a spare capsule so I can preserve this carcass for next time?”

_Well, kudos to his royal highness for not wanting to waste his kill._

“Give me a sec.” She picked up the care package and dug through her capsules, settling on the one she had her bedding in. She’ll either stuff whatever bedding she could in the cockpit or leave it behind. No big deal.

She stepped outside with the empty capsule and handed it to Vegeta. He took care of his leftovers while Bulma prepared to work on the time machine.

“I should go survey the area,” he said.

Her eyes shot at him in alarm. “And leave me here all by myself?”

“We need to get an idea of what we’re dealing with here. We don’t know how long we’re gonna be here and we need to make sure it’s safe, and find out where we can gather resources.”

He was right, of course. But she still didn’t relish the idea of being left alone in unfamiliar territory.

“Did you bring a weapon with you?” 

Bulma nodded. “A gun and some ammo.”

“Then I suggest you put them to use in case any more unwelcome visitors show up while I’m gone.” 

He didn’t need to tell her twice. She ran inside to retrieve her weapon. By the time she exited the cave again, he was gone. She loaded her gun and placed it in the holster buckled around her waist before getting to work on her project.

After a while she stopped to take a few glugs of soda, needing the sugar rush to keep her sharp. Something caught her eye in the distance. She put the can back down and retrieved her binoculars to see what it was.

Three men were coming in her direction, all deeply tanned with black hair and wearing skins. The hunting tools they carried with them were as primitive as their appearance.

Heart racing and throat dry, Bulma quickly encapsulated the time machine and waited in the threshold of the cave. 

Her breath stilled, feet like lead, hand on her pistol, Bulma waited as the group neared closer and closer.

_Where the hell is Vegeta?_

Her grip on the weapon tightened as the men were now only a few meters away and closing in. Why were they even here? Were she and Vegeta squatting on their real estate? Were they tracking the animal he killed? Whatever it was, Bulma’s first instinct was to protect herself and their shelter.

“Stop right there!” she ordered as she jumped out and drew her pistol. The men seemed confused, likely not understanding what she was saying.

They moved in closer, making her jump. “I mean it! Don’t come any closer.”

The men looked at each other, as if hoping at least one of them knew what she was saying before nearing her once more.

“This is your last warning!” Her grip tightened on the trigger. “Leave or I’ll shoot!”

o-o-o-o-o

From the air the landscape was familiar. They were definitely in the vicinity of their home, just thousands- if not millions- of years in the past.

Greener pastures were on the far side of mountains, so finding food and materials for tools and weapons wouldn’t be difficult. East of him was a cliff-side village, the inhabitants all with tawny skin and dark hair. If it weren’t for their location or the absence of tails, he’d swear they were Saiyan. They bustled about their daily routine, not seeming to notice him.

A gunshot rang out, scaring them so that they all ran inside their caves.

Vegeta wasted no time as he flew back, calling out Bulma’s name. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Bulma!” Vegeta’s heart raced as he flew in the direction of the gunshot. Was Bulma in danger? Had someone invaded their shelter? Did another wild beast show up?

Within minutes, she was in eyeshot, sitting just outside the cave being handled by three men. Heat rose in his belly at the sight. _How dare they touch her!_

“Hey!” Vegeta readied his Gallick Gun attack in mid air. “Leave her alone!” The men backed away, falling prostrate and trembling.

“It’s alright, Vegeta,” Bulma said as she raised a hand, signaling him to stop. “They’re friendly. They’re not going to hurt us.” 

Reluctantly, Vegeta dropped his hands and landed in front of them. Bulma gave each of their visitors a reassuring pat on the shoulders to ensure them they wouldn’t be harmed.

“My warning shot already freaked them out, jerk! They don’t need you scaring them like that.”

“I thought you were in trouble,” Vegeta said as the men cautiously stood. “I heard the gunshot and saw these men touching you. What was I supposed to think?”

“Okay, never mind.” 

Two of the men approached Vegeta, looking at him intently as the third touched Bulma’s hair, studying it.

“What’s with them, anyway?” Vegeta asked. “What the hell do they want?”

“I think they’re just curious about us.” Bulma stayed still as the man scrutinized her. “I mean, it’s not like they’ve seen a woman with blue hair before.”

Vegeta approached her, startling the man. “Did they see the time machine?”

She shrugged. “Not sure. I encapsulated it as soon as I saw them. I don’t know if that’s what caught their attention or if they were tracking that panther.” 

One of the strangers picked up a stick and hit the ground with it. When he had everyone's attention, he used it to draw in the dirt. Vegeta and Bulma watched, trying to interpret what he was communicating.

In the dirt was a large circle with squiggled lines and dots. A river and trees, maybe? He also drew marks that seemed to represent mountains and people. 

“That looks like the landscape I saw when I heard the gunshot,” Vegeta said. “There were people living there in caves.” 

Bulma nodded before turning to their visitors. She pointed to herself, then out in the distance, silently asking if they wanted her and Vegeta to follow them. The men answered affirmatively and proceeded to walk away, motioning them to follow.

Vegeta huffed. “I could fly us there.”

“And freak them out more than we already have?” Bulma tugged his arm, urging him forward as she followed their guides. “I think it’s best if we do this on their terms. Who knows. We may need their help one day.”

“I still can’t believe you let them touch you.”

“I didn’t want them to think we’re a threat,” she said. “I don’t know how long we’re going to be here before I can get the time machine fixed, and we don’t know what else is out here. We need allies in case we get into any trouble.”

“And you don’t think I’m more capable of taking on threats then these weaklings?”

“Geez, what’s with you?” She looked at him, but he avoided her eyes.

What could he say? That he didn’t want anyone else to touch her? Protect her? Did it even matter?

Vegeta was the Prince of all Saiyans. Descendant of a proud warrior race. He didn’t need this woman or their brat to distract him. He shouldn’t be bothered by any of this.

But he was. He wasn’t sure how to interpret it, or if it even had a name. 

His pride would not let him admit any weakness. Any feelings he might have for the woman or their son. He wouldn’t let his guard down. Not even for them.

“Never mind, Woman.”

A smirk crossed Bulma’s face. “You just don’t want to be second, do you?”

Vegeta groaned. “Shut up.” 

o-o-o-o-o

“So, this is the village you saw?” Bulma asked, parched and panting from the miles-long hike. Vegeta nodded as they neared their destination. 

The villagers gazed at the pair in awe as their guides led them inside one of the caves. Animal skins were laid out on the floor. Baskets of food and jugs of water lined walls decorated with cave drawings. The smell wasn’t as musty as their own cave, scented by people and aging food. Bulma estimated at least three families living in this cave.

The people spoke with a series of sounds, body language and hand signs. Bulma observed their interactions, trying to interpret their language. If they were going to be allies, they would have to be able to communicate with them. 

One of the guides motioned her and Vegeta to sit on a thick, furry pelt as the women served them food and water, which they eagerly accepted. Bulma was surprised at how clear the water looked. It even tasted clean.

“I assumed it was a river they mapped out for us,” Bulma said as she put her cup down. “I take it it's actually a stream? With enough gravel to filter the water?”

Vegeta was already halfway done with his meal. “Just over the mountains. We shouldn’t have any trouble gathering whatever we’ll need to survive this place if your supplies run out. That is, if we don’t have to fight these people over that part of the land.”

“They’ve been hospitable so far,” she said as she ate. “I don’t think they’ll mind.”

“They might. They have their own people to take care of. We still don’t know yet if they’ll be willing to let us pick off their land, or what resources they can spare.”

Bulma nodded in agreement as she put down her plate. He was right. They needed to make certain sharing this land with these people would be doable.

Or maybe she should just get that stupid time machine fixed before it becomes an issue in the first place. 

Once they had finished eating, one of the males- presumably the head of house- drew their attention to one of the cave drawings. A large, winged creature was depicted looming over a group who were trying to fend it off. The man frowned, waving his arms and groaning in distress as he showed them.

“Looks kind of like a pterodactyl,” Bulma observed. “And a big one at that.”

Vegeta grunted. “I can take that creature out, no problem.”

“You don’t know that.”

Vegeta grit his teeth, fists clenching. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m an elite class warrior. I can take down a flying dinosaur any time.”

“Even if it’s bigger than this entire village?” 

Before Vegeta could reply, the man showed them a set of lines next to the drawing, a dark cloud of sorrow falling upon the occupants.

“Kami,” Bulma gasped as realization donned on her. The lines represented all the casualties they had suffered. Her throat swelled at the death toll scratched out on the wall.

“They’re human weaklings,” Vegeta stated. “Of course they wouldn’t stand a chance against that creature.”

Bulma shot her eyes at him. “Have a heart, Vegeta. They lost a lot of people to that thing. They’re warning us about it for a reason.” 

“It’s a primitive animal. Child’s play for a Saiyan.”

“That’s what you said about the androids.”

Vegeta’s face turned crimson. “Shut up, Woman.” 

The man led them further into the cave and pointed to the next drawing. The depiction before them made Vegeta and Bulma freeze in their tracks.

There in the torchlight was depicted a blue haired woman adorned like a goddess. Above her was a fiery being that bore an uncanny resemblance to Vegeta in Super Saiyan form, widow’s peak and all. 

Everyone in the cave, man and woman, young and old, fell prostrate before them. Bulma looked at the drawing again, then back at their worshipers.

“Vegeta,” Bulma whispered. “They think we’re gods.”


	4. Chapter 4

Bulma examined the wall again as the cave dwellers stood. She was depicted as making things magically appear and vanish into thin air. Her capsules, perhaps? There were also several portraits of Vegeta fighting in Super Saiyan form.

“How is that possible?” Vegeta asked as he, too, read their history on the wall. “I haven’t gone Super Saiyan the whole time we’ve been here.”

“I’m thinking we were here before for some reason,” she said. “Or maybe it isn’t us at all.”

He crossed his arms, daring her with his eyes. “And who else do you suppose it could be?” 

Bulma looked at the cave drawings again. Who was she kidding? Of course, it was them. The actions of these ‘gods’ were identical to their own. There was no mistaking it.

She looked at their hosts, pointing between herself and the cave drawings and shaking her head. They weren’t gods. Not in the slightest. Unfortunately, they couldn’t understand her.

“Vegeta.” She inched closer to him. “You think it’s possible they weren’t warning us about that creature after all, that they were asking us to destroy it for them?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Well, do you? I mean, we’re  _ gods _ to these people. They want us to kill that thing.”

“I told you, I can handle it, no problem.”

“You don’t  _ know _ that.” Bulma turned to see one of the males approaching them, holding what looked like a book.

She gasped, her jaw slack, eyes wide as the object came into view. It  _ was _ a book. A modern day book with a blue cover and white pages.

The man opened the book and pointed to the writing as if asking what it means. It was clearly handwritten. A journal, perhaps?

“How the hell did that thing get here?” Vegeta asked as the man handed the anachronism to Bulma.

She looked at him, shaking her head. “I have no idea.”

Before she could get a good look at it, a young boy snatched the book from her and ran off, holding it like a security blanket. The man bowed in a plea for forgiveness. Bulma placed a hand on his shoulder, assuring him it was okay.

“Woman, are you out of your mind?” Vegeta snapped. “That book could’ve had some information about this place. Something that would give us a better chance here.”

“After what these people have been through, I didn’t want to take it from him if it helps him feel safe.”

“And how is a stupid book supposed to help anyone feel safe?”

“It’s a spiritual thing, alright?” Before he could answer, Bulma picked up a stick and handed it to him.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with this?”

“You saw the land.” She pointed to the ground. “Draw a map of it so we can negotiate with these people.”

“Right,” he said, understanding as he scratched out what he could remember. Once he was done, Bulma took the stick and circled small sections of each part of the map, pointing to it, herself and Vegeta, silently asking how much of the land they had free reign of. 

The man took the stick and circled the entire map.

Bulma looked at Vegeta, puzzled before taking back the stick and repeating what she asked. The man once again circled it, more insistently and extending his arms to them, confirming they would have no restrictions on what they could take from it.

Vegeta leaned close to her ear. “They think we’re gods. Remember?”

“Of course, I do,” Bulma said. “I just didn’t want that much responsibility.” 

“Look, at least we won’t starve if you can’t get the time machine fixed.”

“I’ll get it fixed!”

“Then I suggest we get going.”

Bulma nodded and bowed politely to her hosts. 

Once they stepped outside, Vegeta scooped her up in a bridal carry.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!” she squealed. “You really want these people to see us flying?”

“Like it matters?” Vegeta said before taking off.

o-o-o-o-o 

Bulma found it hard to focus on the task in front of her.

All the calculations in her mind conjured theory after theory as she tried to figure out how those people knew about them. Vegeta’s Super Saiyan form. Bulma’s capsule technology. The book.

Clearly they had been here before. But how and for what reason? Why would they have come here at an earlier time in the first place?

All she managed to see of the book was that it was handwritten. Was it a journal? A message?

“Hey!”

Startled, Bulma looked up to see Vegeta staring at her. “Oh, uh, sorry. I was just deep in thought.”

“And that justifies why you were sitting there not working on that machine?”

“Yeah, it  _ would _ take a crisis situation for you to change your tune.” She threw down the wrench she’d been holding for over an hour and stood. “Yesterday, if you can even call it that anymore, you told me I was wasting my time with this thing.” 

“Yesterday, we weren’t stuck millions of years in the past!”

“Yeah, well, I'm not the one who got us stuck here.”

“Fine. Just get it fixed so we can get out of here.” He turned back towards the cave.

“I told you,” she yelled, stopping him. “It’s going to take a while. I don’t even know how it got us here.” 

“Well, figure it out already.”

“I’m trying!” Bulma stared at him for a moment before leaning on the ship, burying her face against the hull. 

After a moment, she turned to him again, face streaked with tears. “I’m sorry. It’s just…” She wiped the tears from her face. “I miss Trunks, I don’t want to be anyone’s god, I don’t like not having boundaries to what we can take from their land and I have no blueprint to this…” She pointed at the time ship. “This  _ thing! _

“And, on top of that, I can’t for the life of me figure out how we could’ve been here before any of this even happened.”

“Who cares,” he said. “At least we know you’ll eventually figure that thing out and we’ll be out of here.”

That stopped the tears. Of course, she would’ve had to have been able to get them back home. Still, why would they have come back?

She smiled. “Thanks, Vegeta.”

He grunted and returned to the cave while Bulma resumed work.

o-o-o-o-o

By the time dusk had fallen and she encapsulated the ship and her tools, she had made only marginal progress. 

Bulma rolled over in her sleeping bag as her mind raced through theories and calculations and mechanics and circuitry. 

“At this rate, there’s no telling how long it’s going to take me to fix it. I mean, if it was just a ship I wouldn’t have any problem. It’s the whole time travel aspect of it. Maybe if I-”

“Ugh, give it a rest, Woman,” Vegeta groaned from his spot on the cave floor. “I’m trying to sleep.”

Bulma sighed. “Just thinking out loud.”

“Well, can you think without talking? It’s annoying.”

“Fine. Sorry.” The petulance in her voice belied her words. “Good night.”

The Saiyan drifted off, muttering something about ‘stupid’ this and ‘stupid’ that.

Only one of them slept that night. 


	5. Chapter 5

“Dammit. Dammit. _Dammit!”_

It was the first thing Vegeta heard when he returned with a boar carcass over his shoulder. “I don’t think screaming at it is going to make it work.”

“Ha, ha. Very funny,” Bulma yelled from the cockpit. “You wanna try and fix this thing? You have no idea what I’ve been putting myself through the last few days.”

Vegeta snickered. He enjoyed riling her. Liked that she didn’t take any crap from him. Loved her fiery spirit, if for no other reason than how amusing it was.

After a few days of Vegeta eating raw meat, Bulma managed to convince him to cook it to avoid parasites- and to make it more palatable.

“I take it you still haven’t figured that thing out yet?” Vegeta asked as he threw the carcass down.

Bulma made her way out of the ship. “Not even close. And, what’s worse, we’re almost out of water and food.”

“Do we still have enough wood so we can cook this thing?”

“That animal or the timeship?” Bulma teased, though grimly.

“That bad?”

She nodded. “You clean the boar, I’ll make the fire.” Vegeta took the carcass to a flat boulder nearby and proceeded to skin it. 

Bulma gathered the wood and placed it with some twigs in their campfire pit. Once the carcass was ready, Vegeta used his ki to start the fire. 

As they prepared their meal, Bulma rattled off some technical jargon Vegeta didn’t understand, asking what he thought as if he could give her an intelligent answer.

“We need to start gathering food,” he suggested as they ate. He didn’t know tech, let alone how to fix a time machine. He understood survival, and he knew what they had to do to stay alive.

Bulma nodded. “We can start first thing in the morning. Make a day of it, even. I need a break, anyway.”

“I just hope you have a spare capsule for a haul. It’ll be much easier than making several trips.”

Bulma held a finger up and nodded as she chewed, then swallowed. “I’ve already thought of that. It would take several trips just to get water. I think I have, like, two I can spare. We’ll do just fine.”

“Huh?” He lifted a brow before taking another bite of his food. “Why two?”

“So we could have one for your next kill. Sorry, but I don’t want a bloody mess in with the rest of our food.”

Vegeta nodded. “We’ll need more wood, too.”

“I know.” Bulma finished her meal and stood. “Meantime, I need to get back to work.”

“You think you can do that without squawking?”

Bulma sighed as she picked up her tools. “Don’t count on it.” 

o-o-o-o-o 

Bulma stretched as she breathed in the fresh air. She and Vegeta had landed in a verdant area on the other side of the mountains. They were near a clear stream which babbled happily. Birds tittered beneath azure skies, trees swaying with a cool breeze. 

“I’ll see if I can find some food, you fill the water bottles,” Bulma suggested. Vegeta grunted as he picked up an armload and carried them to the stream. She pulled out a scanning device and proceeded to check any plant life that seemed to bear fruit. 

“I think I found something that’s actually edible,” Bulma said after a while as she held her scanner in front of a berry bush. “Good thing I had this gizmo packed.”

“Fine,” Vegeta huffed as he filled the bottles. “Just pick them so we can move on.”

“You know, you don’t have to be such a grump all the time.” She gathered the berries in one of several bags she’d made out of animal skins. Vegeta’s hunting had indeed served them well. 

The Saiyan groaned as he filled the last of the bottles and hauled them to Bulma. “Just put them there on the mat,” she instructed.

“I know, Woman.” He placed the bottles with the mostly empty bags next to her. “Is this all you got so far?”

“I told you this would take all day.” She placed her bag in with the water. “I’m not familiar with this area and I still need to find out what else we can safely eat here. Unlike you Saiyans, we humans can’t just shove anything in our mouth without the risk of getting poisoned.”

“And you don’t think Saiyans can get poisoned?” Vegeta turned his back on her before she could answer. Had she struck a nerve?

Best to change the subject. 

“I wonder if the natives could show us how to cure meat.”

Vegeta turned to her with curious eyes. “Cure meat?”

“Yeah. You know. Like beef jerky. It’s a way of preserving meat. Drying it. Maybe they could show us where to find salt and sugar, too.”

“You’re not giving up on getting us out of here, are you?”

Bulma shot eyes at him. “Of course not. I just want an option in case it takes too long.”

“Fine. I just don’t want to have to deal with those people any more than I have to.”

Bulma rolled her eyes. “At least try and get used to the idea. Sorry, but this is survival and we humans need all the help we can get, thank you very much.” She encapsulated their meager spoils and motioned him to follow her further down the stream.

Their hike took them to a grove of fruit trees nestled near a lake. Bulma didn’t hesitate to gather some of the fruit, filling her bags with ripe, round pears, peaches and citrus fruits.

She swiped her arm over her brow as she looked down at her bounty, pleased with the fruits of her labor. “This should last us a while.”

The lake caught her eye as she encapsulated the food. The water was clear and inviting, especially with the warm weather. It had been a while since Bulma enjoyed a good swim.

Vegeta stood impatiently as she approached the water and proceeded to remove her clothing. “What are you doing, Woman?”

Bulma didn’t answer as she stripped down to her underwear and stepped into the water, allowing her body to adjust to temperature before plunging in.

She swam around for a moment before turning to Vegeta. “Come on in, Mr. Grumpy Pants. The water’s great.”

The Saiyan bristled. “I am _not_ going in there. Come out so we can get back to the cave.”

“Oh, come on, Vegeta. You need a bath anyway. Or…” Bulma gave him a wink. She’ll play on his ego. “Are you afraid to get in the water?”

That did it. Vegeta quickly stripped to his BVDs and jumped in. His hair was now drenched and tumbling over his shoulders. 

Damn, he looked hot. 

“I’m not afraid of anything, Woman.”

“Good to know,” she said before splashing him.

_“Hey!_ What was that for?”

“Just having some fun.” She giggled as she splashed him again and swam away.” Come on, homeboy. Splash me back. Live a little!”

It took a moment before Vegeta’s scowl gave way to an evil grin and made a wave that nearly pulled her under, making her shriek in surprise. It took her a moment to catch her breath.

“Think you could do that with a little less gusto?” She could barely get the words out without coughing. Vegeta snickered before sending another wave. Bulma took a deep breath and dunked below just as it hit. She kept herself under for as long as she could, seeing if Vegeta would try to find her. 

The water distorted her vision and hearing, but Vegeta’s call for her was unmistakable. She couldn’t quite make out his expression, but his eyes didn’t seem to leave her spot.

He stepped a little closer to her before she shot out of the water. “Boo!”

Vegeta backed away with a yelp. Bulma just laughed. “Scared ya, didn’t I?”

The Saiyan stumbled over his words before making sense. “I told you, I’m not afraid of anything.”

A satisfied grin plastered her face. “You were looking for me.”

“I can’t get us back home.”

“And you don’t want to be alone without me. Admit it.”

“I admit nothing.”

“Suit yourself.” She moved away from him. “Think you can catch me?”

“Is that a question?”

“I mean in the water, silly.” She bolted out further, hoping he would take the bait. When she turned back to where he was, she didn’t see him.

“Vegeta?” She looked around but there was no sign of him. “Vegeta?!” Her heart raced as she took deep breaths, reminding herself he was capable enough to stay underwater for long periods of time. He was playing with her. 

Now, where the hell was he?

_Sploosh._ “Boo!”

Startled, Bulma squealed before bursting out laughing. “Whoa, that was good, Vegeta. You got me!”

Surprisingly, she got a snicker from him. Was he actually having fun?

Bulma took another step back when she felt a painfully sharp sensation on her ankle. She looked down into the water and spied a black, eel-like creature swimming away. The burning sensation from the bite slowly crept up her leg. 

“Vegeta!” She took slow, deep breaths to stave off the cold spike of panic in her chest. 

He approached her, concern etched on his face. “Dammit, Woman, what happened?” 

“Something bit me,” she managed. “I think it’s venomous.”

“Did you see what it was?” 

“Yes. Some kind of eel, I think. Or a water snake.” The pain seeped up her body, swallowing her bit by bit. Her heart palpitated as her breaths became shallow. Her head swam, sounds muffled, her mind drifting into a tunnel. 

Reality seemed to shift as he lifted her out of the water. He said something else as the wind whipped around her, but she couldn’t register it. 

Her thoughts turned to Trunks. Would he be okay? Will she live to see him again?

Will Vegeta forgive her for getting him stuck out here? 


	6. Chapter 6

Vegeta didn’t care if they were still partially unclothed. Bulma was in trouble and she needed help immediately.

“Hang on, Bulma,” he pleaded as she fell in and out of consciousness, his heart clutching as he sped through the sky. “I’m taking you to those people for help. They should know what to do. Just stay with me.”

Bulma muttered something about Trunks and ‘I’m sorry’ before losing consciousness completely. “You’ll see Trunks again. Just don’t die!”

Relief washed over him as the village came into view. When they reached the caves the residents acted quickly, taking Bulma inside and laying her on a soft pelt before examining her. Once they saw the bite mark, now swollen and purple, they went into action.

One of them stepped outside and gathered hot water from a stone cauldron. Vegeta followed her, inhaling the mountain air tinged with smoke from the fire and sighed. He had gotten Bulma here. She was in good hands. These people had clearly dealt with venomous creatures before. Confident that she was now being taken care of, he left the caves and returned to the lake to retrieve the capsule.

Her clothes were the first place he looked and, sure enough, it was in the back pocket of her jeans. He pulled his own clothes back on before opening the capsule and throwing Bulma’s inside.

The last thing he picked up was a pink halter top. He looked at it, remembering how it looked on her that night. The night he had bared his soul to her. When he told her how everything he cared about was taken from him. How people he trusted had stabbed him in the back. How he had learned not to trust. To not allow himself to be weak.

That night, he  _ was _ weak. He was weak when she told him the universe isn’t as cruel as he thought. Weak when she’d kissed him on the cheek. When those same lips met his. When he took her. Ravaged her. Claimed her. 

It was the biggest mistake he had ever made. A mistake that resulted in him having a son.

He shouldn’t be worrying about her. Shouldn’t care if she lives or dies, but he did. Not just because she was his only way home, but because she had shown him a side of humanity he didn’t know existed. A side that didn’t use you for their own gain. A side that kept their promises. That stayed with you no matter how far you’d fallen.

She’d taken him, a genocidal murderer, into her home. Helped him become stronger. Nursed his injuries. Stayed by his bedside when he was seriously hurt.

Vegeta shook his head, bringing himself back to the present. Bulma needed him this time. Even with the care she was getting from their new friends, he should be with her.

He tossed the halter into the capsule and closed it, picked it up and flew back to the village.

o-o-o-o-o 

By the time he got back, Bulma was semi conscious and her face had lost all color. One of the females was giving her some kind of drink that smelled of bitter herbs. Another had smeared a paste on the bite and was wrapping it in strips of fiber. She was covered with another pelt, her hair damp with sweat.

After a few minutes they finished and stood, bowing to him as they left Bulma to rest. Vegeta stayed in his spot, staring at her as she muttered something about her mother before losing consciousness again.

What the hell was he supposed to do? Was there any way he could help her recover? Vegeta was the Prince of all Saiyans. He had the power to destroy his enemies and obliterate entire planets. He’d conquered worlds with soldiers at his command. He’d even claimed his birthright as the legendary Super Saiyan. 

Yet, he had never felt so helpless in his life.

He sat next to her, keeping vigil for as long as she needed him to. It was all he could offer. 

o-o-o-o-o 

Vegeta dozed off and on over the next few days as he watched for signs of improvement. He ate when served, relieved himself when needed and observed the care she was given.

Three days in, he looked up to find he wasn’t alone. The young child with the book sat next to him. “What do you want, boy?”

Of course, the child wouldn’t understand him. He just wasn’t in the mood for interlopers. Despite the gruffness of his tone, the boy seemed unphased.

“Look, kid, I know you live here. But this isn’t any of your concern.” Still, the boy remained where he was. He wasn’t going to let Vegeta shoo him away.

“So,” he continued, “Are you worried about her or just surprised a god could get sick?” 

The boy looked up at him, then back at Bulma. Vegeta reclined against the cave wall, ignoring his young intruder as he watched the woman closely. Her chest rose and fell slightly. Her breaths steadier than they were the day before. Her fever close to breaking. 

Vegeta closed his eyes, imagining her yelling at him over worrying about her like a pathetic fool as he drifted off to sleep.

o-o-o-o-o

Bulma woke up to the sound of people going about their business, head foggy and throat dry. She was nestled between two warm, furry pelts and her Saiyan prince was sound asleep next to her. 

She debated whether or not to wake him. For a grumpy prince, he was downright adorable when he slept.

The decision was made for her when one of her caretakers came up to her and then cried out to the rest of the household. 

“What the…” Vegeta grumbled as he woke. His eyes flew open. Bulma was wide awake. A woman brought her some water, which she gratefully accepted.

“So…” Vegeta wasn’t good at this. Having a bedside manner wasn’t a natural Saiyan trait. “Are you… okay?”

“A little shaky still,” She answered as she sipped her water. “But I’m fine.” She looked at him curiously. “So, how long was I out?”

“Five days.”

Another woman gave her a small plate of fruit. “You’ve been here the whole time?” Bulma popped a few berries in her mouth as she watched his face.

He stammered a couple of times before coherently replying, “Yes.” 

A smile graced her lips. “You were worried about me.”

Vegeta groaned. “I was not.”

“You were. And don’t tell me it’s because I’m the only one who can get us home. You’d miss me and you know it.”

“I would not.”

“Admit it.”

“Tch, shut up.” Vegeta pulled the capsule from his pocket and opened it, extracting Bulma’s clothes and tossing them into her lap before closing it again. “Now, get dressed so we can get out of here.”

“I can’t leave yet, you jerk!” She snatched her clothes and proceeded to put them on. “I’m still recovering. When I get my strength back, we can go.”

“And how long do you think that will take?”

“Another day or two at most.” She put her plate down and motioned him to come closer. “Thanks, by the way.”

He puzzled at her. “For what?”

“For taking me here to get help. I was afraid you’d let your pride get in the way and try to take care of me yourself. But you brought me here instead. I’m sure that wasn’t easy for you.”

Color tinged his face as he looked away. “I didn’t know what else to do.” 

She smiled sweetly. “You did the right thing, and I’m proud of you.”

Vegeta winced. “Shut up.”

o-o-o-o-o

“I’m going to give them some of the fruit we collected,” Bulma said as she opened the capsule.

Vegeta stood by, waiting impatiently to get the two of them back to their shelter. “What the hell for?”

She filled an empty bag with an assortment of fruit and closed the rest before turning to him. “It’s this little thing called gratitude. They took care of me and nursed me back to health. Hell, they may have even saved my life. I just want to give them something to show how grateful I am for their help. Besides, we can always gather more when we need it.”

“Fine. Just hurry it up already.”

“You know, you don’t have to be so rude.” Bulma pocketed the capsule and stormed past him, her leg still tender from the bite.

She bowed to her hosts as she presented them with her gift, which they humbly accepted. Vegeta stood near the cave exit. “Let’s go already.”

Bulma groaned. “I’m coming, geeze.” She waved goodbye and joined the grumpy Saiyan when a tug on her shirt halted her.

The boy with the book looked up at her, uncertain as his eyes shifted between her and his prized possession. After a moment, he handed it to her. Bulma hesitated for a moment until he waved it in front of her. Her eyes misted as she accepted it, smiling gratefully. “Thank you.”

The child bowed and rejoined his family as Vegeta escorted her outside, scooped her up once again and flew her back to their cave. 


	7. Chapter 7

“Be careful, alright? I don’t want to drop this thing.” Bulma held the book tightly in one hand with her free arm around Vegeta’s neck as he bolted to their shelter.

“Well, if you do we can just go down and get it,” he replied through gritted teeth. “I’m just as curious as you are.”

She glanced at the book. “Well, if I know myself, it should give us a better chance at getting home.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.” 

Once they reached the cave, Bulma wasted no time cracking the book open, her eyes wide and mouth agape as she flipped through the pages. “It’s… it’s…”

“It’s _what_ , Woman?”

Bulma gleefully showed him the pages. “Notes! Notes on how to fix the time machine.” She looked at the pages again, bouncing up and down with excitement. _“I have notes on how to fix the time machine!”_

Vegeta watched as she hugged the notebook like a long lost friend, carrying on and on like a giddy school girl.

She cried happy tears as she waved the book in front of him. “Do you know what this means, Vegeta?”

“Of course I know what it means, so quit wasting your time and get to work.”

Bulma glared at him. Amazing how she can shift from babbling child to downright terrifying within seconds. “Wow, way to kill the mood, jerk. For your information, I need to go through this thing and study it to make sure I have everything I need to fix the damn thing.”

“Fine,” he groaned. “I just wanna go home already.”

“And you don’t think I do?” She all but hit him with the book. “Why do you think I got all excited in the first place? I’ll get to it as soon as I’m ready. Okay?” Not waiting for a reply, she turned and sat on the ground just outside the cave entrance. 

Written on the first page was a letter from her future self:

Hello, Me.

Well, okay, where to start…

So, yeah, we found ourselves stuck out here because Vegeta screwed up, but whatever.

Anyway, I wanted to get these notes to you so you won’t have to spend the next five years trying to figure out how to fix the time machine.

Yup. Five years!

Anyway, we did everything we could not to interact with the natives. Wasn’t sure how exposing them to modern technology would affect the future- or rather- our present. We had a few close calls but nothing major. They seem friendly enough, so don’t let them scare you.

I hid these notes here in the cave so you would find them and hope no one else gets to them first.

And please, don’t tell Vegeta what lengths I’m taking just to get those five years back. You know he won’t understand.

Good luck, Me.

Bulma skimmed through the letter again. They clearly didn’t do anything that would convince the natives they were gods until they came back here to deliver the notebook. They must have run into some trouble and exposed themselves.

All that trouble to get five years of life back and it had profoundly affected their culture. Their ideology. 

And worse, there was no way to fix it.

Bulma sat there, staring at nothing in particular for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and diving into her notes.

o-o-o-o-o

“Hey, Vegeta, nice to see you up and around,” Bulma said as the Saiyan emerged from the cave, not having put on his combat suit yet. She had just finished breakfast and the sun was already blistering. “Hand me that welding iron, would you?” 

He groaned, wiping sleep from his eyes. “I just got up, Woman. Get it yourself.”

“I can’t,” she said as she held two wires together. “If I let this go I’ll have to go through all these wires again.”

“Stupid woman,” he muttered as he retrieved the welding kit and gave it to her.

“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” She winked before pulling out the welding iron and soldering the wires together.

“How long is this going to take, anyway?”

Bulma swiped a rag across her forehead. “Well, now that I have the instructions, it should take me a day or two at most.” She tucked damp, blue strands of hair behind her ears before turning back to her work. What she wouldn’t give for a haircut right about now. 

“Well, make it quick.” He picked up one of the water bottles next to her and proceeded to drink it. “The sooner we get out of here, the-”

“Hey! That’s my water, jackass!”

“You had three bottles sitting here.” He pointed to the other two. “They would’ve gotten hot anyway.”

“Yeah, well, when I’m working out in the heat I don’t care if the water gets hot as long as I don’t shrivel up and die. And, besides that, I usually go through three at a time while I’m working.”

“If it means that much to you, get another one yourself.”

_“You_ get it for me, thief!” 

“Like hell I will.” The grin plastered on Vegeta’s face belied his words. He loved messing with her. It was all a game for him when he riled her, especially if she was busy. Bulma knew this all too well, but now was not the time for games.

“Fine. Just let me get this thing fixed, alright?”

Vegeta walked away, snickering like the smartass he was. Bulma exhaled as she turned back to her work. 

A series of faint growls caught their attention. Off in the distance was a pack of wild dogs. Bulma’s breath hitched as the canines approached them. 

“What the hell?” Vegeta moved in front of her, eyes on the pack.

Bulma stood behind him. “They must’ve smelled our food.” 

“Get in the cave,” he said, gesturing her to keep her distance. 

Reluctantly, she put down her tools and did as she was told, not bothering to encapsulate the ship. 

Bulma searched for her pistol. If she could fire a shot it would scare the dogs away. She found the bullets and fumbled with the chamber to load them. By the time she reached the cave entrance, heart in her throat and hands shaking, they were all over him.

Before she had a chance to shoot, Vegeta threw them off of him, firing a ki blast and scaring them off. After a moment, he collapsed from his injuries.

Bulma emerged from the cave with the med kit and rushed over to him. “Are you okay?”

“Of course, I am.” He groaned as he tried to sit up. 

Bulma pulled out some antibacterial wipes and proceeded to clean the deep scratches and bite marks on his skin. “Why didn’t you fire your ki first so they wouldn’t attack you?”

“I said I’m fine.” He winced as she sterilized a bite mark on his leg. “Besides, I enjoy a good battle. Those dogs were pathetic. I could’ve easily destroyed them all.”

“I believe you.” She looked up at him as the last of his injuries was tended to. There was something about treating his scrapes and scratches that seemed… intimate. She didn’t even mind getting his blood on her fingers or tasting it when she kissed his wounds. 

It was always like this. When he injured himself training. When he blew up the gravity chamber and almost killed himself. When he fought battles and returned to Capsule Corp, bloodied and battered. 

She found it strangely… arousing. 

And, judging by his expression, so did he.

She had just finished bandaging his arm, her hand braced against it as she leaned over him. His eyes were bottomless. Deep. She could easily lose herself in them. Her breath stilled as his face, tinged red, rose slightly to meet hers. 

He’d looked that way before. 

The temptation to meet his lips with hers pulled her in for a moment, their breaths mingling.

As Bulma debated if she should follow through, thoughts of Trunks invaded her mind.

_Not again. Not out here._

She pushed herself off quickly, her face hot from their revelry.

_Next time, pack some condoms, you idiot!_

“Uh, that should do it.” She packed the unused medical supplies and stood. “Now that we’re out of danger, I’ll get back to work.” 

_And get us out of here before we do something really stupid._

o-o-o-o-o

“Are you almost done, Woman?” Vegeta bellowed as he waited.

Bulma made one last pass through the cave. It had taken a few days, but she finally had the machine repaired. “I just want to make sure we don’t forget anything.”

“Well, hurry up.”

“Stop rushing me.” 

“You’re taking forever. Let’s go already.”

“I’m coming.” Once Bulma was confident they had everything, she emerged from the cave, giving their surroundings one last look before nodding to Vegeta. He held her from behind, just as he had done before, and flew them both up to the cockpit. 

“I don’t know about you,” she said as she took her seat. “But I’m going to miss this place.”

“Well, I’m not.” He sat beside her, arms folded. “Now, let’s get out of here.”

Bulma groaned, not in the mood for the Saiyan’s grumpiness when they were just about to go home. She programmed the launch sequence and waited.

Nothing happened.

“I thought you said this thing was fixed.”

Dumbfounded, Bulma tried again without success. “I… I don’t understand. I followed the notes exactly.”

“Well, maybe the notes were wrong.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then, what?”

Bulma flipped through the notes, left unpacked in case something like this happened. “I can’t find anything that would explain- wait.” She read through one of the pages more thoroughly before continuing. “I have to check something.” She pulled a blue crystal key from the dash and examined it. “I need to get out the laptop.”

Vegeta helped Bulma back down so she could decapsulate her electronics and generator. She picked up her laptop and plugged the but of the key in, furiously typing data into the key and checking it’s properties. 

After a few minutes, she wilted.

“Bulma?” 

It took a moment before she could speak. “It… won’t transfer data.” 

Vegeta shook his head. “What?”

“The data won’t transfer through the crystal. It has to run through the crystal or it won’t work.” She looked at him. “It’s the crystal that makes the ship travel through time. Without it, we’re stuck.”

The Saiyan’s eyes widened. “Stuck? What do you mean, stuck?”

“I mean…” She couldn’t say it. The world had opened up beneath her and swallowed her whole. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she willed herself to face the truth.

“It means… we can’t get back home. Ever.”


	8. Chapter 8

“I was afraid of this,” Bulma said, examining the cone shaped crystal through her jeweler’s monocle. “It’s riddled with microfractures. No wonder it wouldn’t work.”

“So, how the hell did the other you manage to get out of here?”

Bulma shook her head. “I’m stumped. I mean, it couldn’t have happened when we crash landed here or she wouldn’t have been able to get home. Could be a time paradox for all I know.”

Vegeta groaned. “Never mind. Can we replace it?”

“I’m afraid not.” Bulma picked up the notebook. “According to what the other me said, this element is clear down near the earth’s core in our timeline. I don’t even know if it exists this far back in the past.”

“The earth’s core, huh?” The Saiyan stepped away, looking down at the ground determinedly. “No problem.”

“Are you insane?” Bulma stood and followed him. “Do you have any idea how hot it is down there or how far you’ll have to dig? Even if you could get that far down, you’ll be incinerated before you get there.”

“You forget, I’m a Saiyan. I can handle it.”

“Only if you have a specialized environmental suit, which I do not have at the moment.”

“I don’t need one. I’ll be fine.”

Bulma exhaled, resigned. “If you say so.”

“Stand back.” Vegeta took a deep breath and proceeded to blast the ground in front of him. Once he made a big enough dent, he hovered over it, blasting his way down until Bulma could no longer see him.

She opened her mini fridge, pulled out a bottle of water and sat.

This was going to take a while.

o-o-o-o-o

Bulma spent the next few hours unpacking their supplies, encapsulating the time machine and waiting. Dusk had fallen by the time Vegeta emerged from the hole, panting and exhausted. 

“So,” she said after a moment. “How far did you get?”

He stood there, unfocused and muttering something she couldn’t understand before collapsing.

Alarmed, Bulma ran to his side. She had not seen him like this since the time he’d blown up the gravity room. He had been a complete wreck then. She hadn’t expected him to be in as bad a shape this time.

He attempted to push himself up, shoving her away when she tried to help him.

“Leave me alone,” he groaned as he scrambled to his feet and meandered to the cave. “Have to sleep.”

Bulma gawked at him as he went inside. It wasn’t like Vegeta to skip a meal before sleeping. Even after the hardest of workouts, he would always eat copious amounts of food before bed.

Her gut twinged with guilt. She had planned to rib him over his foolish attempt to dig clear down to the earth’s core, not taking into account what a toll it would have on him. 

Bulma crept inside the cave and sat next to him. When she placed a hand on his shoulder, he startled. “What?”

“I…” She swallowed, inhaled. Bulma didn’t want to bother him while he was trying to sleep, but she wouldn’t be able to rest at all if she didn’t get it off of her chest. “I wanted to thank you. For trying.”

The sleepy Saiyan groaned as he rolled over, jerking his shoulder from her. He didn’t want a thank you. He wanted to sleep.

She stood, tip-toeing around him as she prepared for bed. Best to just let him be. 

o-o-o-o-o

Over the next few weeks, Bulma and Vegeta fell into a comfortable routine. They would go over the mountains to gather food and bathe. Vegeta would hunt every few days. Occasionally, they would visit with the natives out in the field and even learned their techniques for preserving food.

Bulma wasn’t completely ready to give up, however. She had a baby and a life to get back to. And Bulma Briefs does not give up.

“What are you up to, Woman?” Vegeta asked as he processed his latest kill.

“Oh,” Bulma shrugged, “just tinkering.” She sat in the threshold of the cave, pulling the crystal off its mount with a pair of pliers. 

“Tinkering with the thing that’s supposed to get us home.”

“I know it’s a long shot,” she said as she pulled small pieces of scrap metal out of her tool kit. “But I want to keep this thing with me in case we manage to find a substitute. I’m making a mount for it so I can wear it around my neck and put the drive away for safekeeping.”

“Or maybe I should try digging for it again.”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Bulma stood, approaching him with long strides. “You nearly killed yourself doing that last time and took nearly a full day to refill the damn hole.”

“My point exactly.”

Bulma glared at him. Was he serious? “Are you telling me you’re giving up?”

“Of course not.” He turned to face her fully. “The last thing I intend to do is give up. It just might take some time. Or maybe there’s a way to reconfigure the time machine so it doesn’t need the crystal.”

“There isn’t.” She waved it in front of his face. “I told you already, it’s this thing that makes the ship travel through time. If we just want a ship that will take us somewhere within this timeline, that can be arranged. But time travel is impossible without this crystal.”

“And you’re certain about that?”

“Like, I haven’t tried? Other me said in her notes that she tried for years to figure out the whole time travel thing and the crystal was the only thing that made it possible.”

“And I thought you said you were a genius.”

“Well, if I wasn’t I wouldn’t have been able to build a time machine in the first place.”

“That doesn’t count.”

“It counts. She’s  _ me _ , isn’t she?”

An uncomfortable silence fell between them for a moment before Vegeta turned back to his kill. “You know I’m not one to quit. But, under the circumstances, I’m beginning to wonder if maybe…”

Bulma waited for him to finish, but he remained silent. Was he going to suggest maybe they should accept things as they are? Just… give up? 

“I’ll get us out of here,” she promised. “One way or another.” 

Vegeta paid her no heed as he resumed his task. She stood for a moment, trying to think of something that might convince him otherwise.

Bulma kept her peace. There was no point in telling him anything she couldn’t believe herself.

She sighed, returning to the cave entrance so she could finish her project.

Bulma watched Vegeta as she fashioned the setting. Jackass that he was, the Saiyan was one fascinating creature. He skinned and quartered the animal with precision, the rock bloodied from weeks, if not months, of use. At first, the sight of so much blood disgusted her. Now, she found the whole process intriguing. The way he focused on his kill. How his muscles flexed as he worked. His brow creased in concentration. It was like his own private dance.

Or maybe she was just turned on by watching a man work.

Yeah, that’s it.

She shook her head, pulling herself out of her reverie and back to her own task.

o-o-o-o-o 

Moonlight seeped into the cave as Bulma stared at the rock wall from her sleeping bag. How long had they been here? Four months? Five? Six? A year? 

She should’ve marked the days on the wall from the get-go.

Sleep didn’t come easy for her anymore. Not for weeks since their grim discovery.

Bulma held the defective blue key hung on a thin, leather lace around her neck. She had the ship repaired and ready to go, only to have this damn piece of glass keep them from going home.

_ There has to be a substitute somewhere, _ she’d remind herself. But, after weeks of searching, she had come up empty.

She shouldn’t give up after only a few weeks. The same crystal or a substitute had to be around somewhere. She just needed to look harder for it.

Who was she kidding? 

The chances of her finding it were infinitesimal.

A sound echoed in her mind. 

Trunks.

He was crying. 

She should get up to go check on him. He wouldn’t cry unless he needed her. Maybe his diaper was wet. No one else was going to take care of it for her. Trunks needed his mother.

_ His mother. _

Bulma opened her eyes. Had his cries only been an illusion?

Was he crying for her now?

Tears of her own spilled as realization hit home. Her baby. Her parents. Her friends. Millions of years in the future and no way to get back to them. All because of one damn element that would not work. 

It was too much. The hope of ever seeing her loved ones again was shattered, her world swallowed whole as sobs wracked her body. 

What the hell was she going to do? 

“Hey!” Vegeta’s yell did nothing to get her attention. “Pipe down. I’m trying to sleep!”

She didn’t care. Nothing mattered. Nothing except getting back home. Who cares about lost sleep? It wasn’t like she had to go to her lab tomorrow and deal with a client that wanted her to finish their order like yesterday.

“Woman!” 

Bulma rolled over in an attempt to answer him, but her sobs wouldn’t let her. Vegeta sat up for a moment before he rose and moved toward her. She took slow deep breaths to compose herself with little success. “I’m… I’m sorry. I just miss Trunks… and… I can’t… I can’t take care of him and… I… he needs me and I…” She couldn’t continue. 

Vegeta sat next to her as she wept, silent but clearly at a loss. She tugged at his arm, silently asking him to come closer.

He laid next to her, holding her until her sobs at last gave way to sleep. 


	9. Chapter 9

“I found another one,” Bulma announced as she popped out of the water, holding her prize above her head. “I wasn’t sure I’d find  _ one _ geoduck here. Guess it’s our lucky day.”

“Dammit, Woman, pipe down. You’re scaring the fish away.” Vegeta was standing in the lake with her, whittled spear in hand, poised and ready for the next unfortunate fish to cross his path. 

“We already have enough fish,” she said, trudging out of the water to put the massively long clam in the stash with the other seafood they’d collected and encapsulated them. “Besides, I’d like to enjoy a good swim while the weather’s still nice. Won’t be long ‘till it gets cold.”

“I don’t give a damn about that.”

“Well, I do.” She stepped back into the water toward her companion, took the spear out of his hand and tossed it to shore. “Come on, Vegeta. All work and no play-”

“Enough!” Vegeta flew out of the water, picked up the capsule and tossed it to Bulma as she gaped at him. “We’re not here for playtime. If we’ve got enough food then let’s go already.”

“Look, buster,” Bulma seethed as she approached him, pocketing the capsule. “I’m trying to make the most of our circumstances here. We’re stuck. I can’t find a substitute for the crystal and I have no other way of getting us home. If I don’t take any time to enjoy myself, I’ll freaking lose my mind!”

“We wouldn’t be here if you weren’t messing with the time machine in the first place.”

Bulma jabbed a finger in his chest, her eyes shooting daggers. “Look, buddy, don’t you  _ dare _ blame this on me. You’re the one who was careless enough to plop your ass on my console and activated the damn launch sequence.”

“Says the woman who insisted I give her a lift so she wouldn’t have to pull out the damn ladder.”

“And I regret that mistake, but my point still stands.”

“You have no point.”

“It wasn’t my fault!”

Before Vegeta could open his mouth again, a shadow flew over them. Soaring through the sky was a large, winged beast, charcoal grey and headed straight for the village. 

Bulma’s eyes widened. “That’s the creature they warned us about.”

Vegeta hurriedly put his armor back on and took off, passing the creature. He had to warn the villagers so he could put an end to this monster without them suffering any more casualties.

“Hey!” he yelled, hovering in front of the caves. “Get inside. Now!” He waved his hands, motioning them inside. Screeches from the monster rang through the sky, the men poised to fight, not budging. They finally obeyed when he shot a ki blast in front of them, not close enough to hurt them but enough to scare them. Once they were safely in their caves, he ascended to Super Saiyan form and flew toward the creature, hitting it with a ki blast.

It had no effect. 

He fired a succession of volleys at it, but the results were the same. He resorted to physical blows which worked even less. The creature retaliated, knocking Vegeta away with its head. He tumbled through the air until he was able to reorient himself, the beast resuming course toward the village.

Vegeta darted after the creature again. He wasn’t about to let it terrorize these people any more and he wasn’t ready to admit defeat. He could beat that thing. He had to. 

Another ki blast caught its attention. It jetted straight at Vegeta. He dodged it only to be clubbed by its tail. The Saiyan held his side, wincing in pain. Did it just crack a rib?

Before Vegeta could refocus on his adversary he was clamped in its powerful jaws, shaken like a rag doll, its teeth digging through his armor before casting him away.

_ I can take that creature out, no problem. _

_ I’m an elite class warrior. I can take down a flying dinosaur any time. _

_ It’s a primitive animal. Child’s play for a Saiyan. _

His own words taunted him, his body wracked with pain.

Where was he? 

What had just happened?

How could he have lost?

“Vegeta?”

Her voice was barely an echo. His head swimming.

“Vegeta…”

His eyes fluttered open, his vision blurred, the woman silhouetted beside him.

When had he hit the ground?

A warm hand laid on his cheek as the fog slowly lifted. “Hey, you okay?”

He inhaled, wincing from the sharp pain in his ribcage. “I…” His voice was distant. Reluctant. “I lost.”

Only a gasp came from her. Where were the I told you sos? Where were her words berating him for thinking he could take on a creature he knew nothing about?

He was a fool!

All his efforts to stop it had failed. 

His vision cleared as he sat up. “Nothing I did affected it. Ki blasts, physical blows, nothing worked. It’s like its skin is indestructible.”

Bulma looked in the beast’s direction as it headed for the village. “Do you think you could penetrate its skin with some kind of blade?”

Vegeta’s eyes widened. Maybe she was onto something. “Do we have one? I mean, with us now?”

Bulma stood, pulled the capsule out of her pocket and decapsulated the contents. “Dammit, I thought maybe I might’ve brought a knife with me, in case I wanted to eat some of the clams before heading back.”

“And, you forgot?”

She nodded. “And your spear won’t work because it doesn’t have a hard enough point.”

Vegeta’s eyes settled on the sharp, pointed crystal hanging from her neck.

_ A hard point. _

He scrambled to his feet, yanked the bauble from her neck and took off, ignoring her protests.

This had to work. 

He had to  _ make _ it work.

By the time he caught up with the creature it was just meters from the caves. Its softest part would have to be its throat. Vegeta wasted no time as he latched on, jabbing the crystal into its skin. The creature didn’t seem to notice at first, and the point all but bounced off. 

He jabbed repeatedly, forcefully, the faint blemish it produced a small victory. Progress!

That progress was evidenced with the creature’s attempts to shake him off, but Vegeta refused to budge as he continued his assault, pressing the crystal into its throat with all the force he could muster. He had to penetrate the skin if this was going to work. He shoved and twisted it relentlessly. Then, a crack.

The microfractures.

He couldn’t care about that right now. He had to get the thing through its skin, even if it was done in pieces. 

Sweat poured from his brow, running down his face and neck as he continued to force the crystal through unrelenting skin.  _ Shove. Shove. Twist. Shove. Twist… _

“Come on, you bastard!” he roared as he gave it one last push, a piercing cry from the creature sounded as hot, wet blood finally seeped onto Vegeta’s gloved hand. Success! With a victorious cry, the Saiyan charged his ki to full, channeling it through the crystal and into the beast. At first, the creature seemed unaffected as it proceeded its course. Then, it seized, thrashing wildly, but Vegeta hung on, maintaining his charge as they plummeted to earth. His body screamed in pain as they hit the ground. Soon, a pair of slender arms hooked under his armpits, dragging him out from under the massive corpse of the beast.

His head and shoulders rested on her lap, nimble fingers stroking his sweat damp hair. The Woman sighed in relief. “Looks like you won after all.”

“Yeah,” he croaked, battle weary. “Sorry about the crystal.”

The corner of her mouth lifted, eyes squinting. “Yeah, I’ll try not to hold that against you,” she teased. “What matters is you destroyed that thing and our neighbors are finally safe, and so are we.”

Vegeta chuckled. “I told you I could defeat it, didn’t I?”

“Hm,” Bulma smiled, “you sure did.” 


	10. Chapter 10

Firelight flickered, casting harsh shadows of the people dancing around a bonfire, their dance depicting Vegeta’s victory over the beast.

Vegeta had taken the corpse to the village announcing the creature was dead. The people made quick work of it, collecting its sinew and organs for food, its bones for tools and ornamentation and its skin for clothing. Nothing went to waste, and much of it was being used for their victory celebration. 

Their chief, whom Bulma and Vegeta had not met until tonight, was present. He was an impressive looking man, old and silver haired, adorned in colorfully embellished skins and an assortment of necklaces and bracelets made of beads, bone and rough stones. 

Bulma sat watching the show and rubbing her full belly, Vegeta perched beside her with his usual scowl, arms folded.

He groaned. “How long is this party supposed to last?”

Bulma looked at him. “They’re honoring you for killing that monster. You can at least show some gratitude. Besides, you did get a hefty meal out of it. Biggest servings you had in months.”

“Hmph!”

She rolled her eyes. “Look, you can sit there and be your usual grumpy self all you want. I’m enjoying myself. Besides.” She gave him a friendly nudge in the ribs. “I’m proud of you.”

Vegeta turned away from her, his face flushing. 

Bulma fiddled with the crystal that once again hung around her neck, cleansed and restrung, though slightly chipped. As she watched the spectacle before her, her thoughts drifted to home. The ache to be reunited with their son would never go away. That much was certain. And she would still keep her eyes open for a substitute for the crystal. But as long as they were here, they were safe. They’d grown accustomed to living off the land and know how to survive. If they couldn’t get home, they would manage.

The festivities went on through the night as the people danced, having Bulma join in yet unable to convince Vegeta to do the same. Children played games and the heads of house told stories in sign and sound.

As the fire slowly died down, the chief stood before Vegeta and Bulma, expressing his gratitude with regality and grace. As a reward, he gave Vegeta one of his necklaces, a large semi-precious stone as its pendant. Vegeta grimaced, reaching for the beads around his neck, but Bulma stopped him.

“Wait until we get back,” she said. “They might take it as an insult if you remove it.”

Sunlight glowed on the horizon as the festivities came to an end, and soon Vegeta was carrying Bulma through the sky and back to their cave. The sun was just above the horizon by the time they got there.

“Now, can I take this off?” Vegeta said as he tugged at his necklace.

Bulma opened her mouth to answer and was stopped short when the sunlight revealed the blue crystal hanging from his neck. 

“Give it here!” she said, reaching for it like a lifeline. She examined the stone closely, comparing it to the one she was wearing. “I have to check something.” She ran to her tool kit and pulled out a pumice, rubbing it against the stone for what seemed like hours. Once the surface was smooth enough she took off her necklace and compared the two crystals once more before bounding toward Vegeta. 

“Look at this, Vegeta,” she said. “They’re identical.  _ Identical! _ Do you know what this means?”

She didn’t give him a chance to answer.

“It means, we may have found our way  _ home.” _

o-o-o-o-o

It took a few more days, but Vegeta and Bulma were finally ready to give their trip home another go. Vegeta had managed to sculpt the crystal into shape- according to the specifications Bulma had given him- while she gave the time machine a much needed overhaul.

As before, Bulma double checked the cave and their campsite to make sure nothing was left behind as Vegeta waited impatiently by the ship.

“Hurry up,” he said. “We’ve been here long enough. Let’s get going already.”

After downloading the ship’s data into the newly mounted crystal key, she tested it several times before they’d packed. The data had transferred without any issues, but the real test was still to come. Would it activate the time ship? Would it get them home? Butterflies- no- bats fluttered around in her stomach as she anticipated what would happen.

“I’m coming,” she said as she approached the ship, nerves rattled. 

He didn’t say anything more as she looked into his eyes, the churning in her stomach replaced by a flutter. Sure, they’d gotten a bit closer during their time here, but when they get home, would it be the same? Adjusting to life in civilization once again would be difficult enough without having to muddle through whatever new feelings may have developed between them.

Bulma took a deep breath and nodded. “Let’s go.”

Pulling her into his arms, Vegeta flew them both up to the cockpit. Bulma’s nerves returned as she took her seat and pulled out the new key. This was it. The moment they had anticipated all these months. They would be home. She would see Trunks again. And Vegeta would be the ass he always was. 

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Vegeta said as Bulma fidgeted with the key. “Let’s  _ go.” _

“I'm nervous, okay?” She inhaled, gripping the key tight in her fist. What if this failed? What if it didn’t take them home? Her mind raced so fast she could barely keep up, nausea hitting her as she sat there staring at the dashboard. 

After taking a few deep, calming breaths she held the key up, its facets catching the light of the noonday sun. A glimmer of hope. 

_ Hope! _

“Here goes nothing.” Bulma inserted the key and turned it. They let out a collective sigh of relief as the time machine at last came to life.

She programmed the time destination and hit launch. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

Vegeta’s eyes widened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means we still have to find out if this thing will actually get us home and this is the only way we’re going to find out.”

“Now, you tell me.” He threw himself back in his seat, arms folded.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she said. “I’m sure we have nothing to worry about.”

Bulma hovered over the ground, taking one last look at the place that had been their home for so many months. Her eyes landed on the village, their neighbors watching them with awe, waving their arms and crying out their farewells. Bulma’s throat swelled with emotion, her eyes misty as she silently bid them goodbye. Vegeta, unsurprisingly, seemed unmoved. 

“Come on, let’s get this over with.”

Bulma shot him a look. “I’m just taking a few minutes to appreciate the beauty of this place. Besides, I’m-”

“Going to miss it.”

“You’re terrible.”

“And you’re stalling.”

“Look, I don’t intend on coming back here again.”

“Well, that’s good news.”

“Are you going to be like this the whole trip?”

“Yes.”

“What about after we’re home?”

“Yes.”

She offered him a mischievous smile. “Well,  _ that’s _ good news.”

“Shut up.”

Bulma snickered as she activated the time travel sequence and headed home. 


End file.
